A320 PIC EXPRESSES EMER COMMAND AUTH TO AVOID MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BY PCT TO DIRECT FLT THROUGH TSTM ACTIVITY.

Date: 2003-08 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: climb

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

Synopsis

A320 PIC EXPRESSES EMER COMMAND AUTH TO AVOID MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS BY PCT TO DIRECT FLT THROUGH TSTM ACTIVITY.

Narrative

USE OF CAPT'S EMER AUTH; DEV FROM ASSIGNED HEADING DUE TO SIGNIFICANT WX AND DIFFICULTIES WITH ATC. A SIGNIFICANT SYS WAS IMPACTING THE WBOUND DEPS FROM BWI. REROUTES AND WX DEVS ABOUND. FLT PLAN SHOULD HAVE TAKEN US OVER AML. AML WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO CLR SOUTHERN TIP OF A TSTM THAT WAS PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT RETURNS TO THE ACFT RADAR. A CLB CLRNC WAS ISSUED TO 17000 FT; EXPEDITE THROUGH 11000 FT; WITH A VECTOR INTO THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AREA OF WX. OFFERS OF; AND A WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT A DIFFERENT ALT OR SPD TO OBTAIN A MORE SOUTHERLY HEADING (TOWARDS AML) WERE NOT CONSIDERED. THE CTLR ATTEMPTED TO FORCE THE CREW TO ACCEPT THIS VERY UNACCEPTABLE VECTOR. PROVIDING ABSOLUTE LIMITS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN THE HEADING BEFORE REQUIRING A TURN WERE MET WITH FURTHER PLT PUSHING ATTEMPTS. UPON REACHING THE ABSOLUTE LIMITS; IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY FOM GUIDELINES; THE CREW TRIED TO SECURE CLRNC TOWARDS AML TO NO AVAIL. CAPT'S EMER AUTH WAS EXERCISED WITH A TURN TOWARDS AML. ATC WAS NOTIFIED AND (VIA TCASII) NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED. (THE NEAREST ACFT WAS AT 10 O'CLOCK POS; 5 MI AND 2000 FT ABOVE). IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE CTLR FOLLOWED THIS USE OF CAPT'S EMER AUTH; WITH A VECTOR ALL THE WAY BACK TO BWI FOLLOWED WITH ANOTHER MINOR ATTEMPT TO DRIVE US RIGHT BACK THROUGH THE SAME AREA OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THE CREW MADE EVERY REASONABLE ATTEMPT TO ASSIST THE CTLR'S NEEDS; WHILE MAINTAINING REQUIRED DISTANCES FROM THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY; EVEN IN THE FACE OF UNNECESSARY COMMENTS FROM SAID CTLR.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.